Michigan State's Jase Richardson makes a 3-pointer against Wisconsin during the second half on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nets Prospect Watch: Jase Richardson Continues to Rise

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Jed Katz | Last updated Mar 4, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Brooklyn Nets are set to have four first-round picks in an NBA Draft loaded with guards. While the most coveted guard is Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper, the mid-lottery has plenty of talent, including Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois), Kon Knueppel (Duke), and Tre Johnson (Texas). However, one name has been rising as of late.

Michigan State freshman Jase Richardson started the season coming off the bench, which raised questions about his draft stock. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard is averaging 11.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 52.0% shooting from the field and 39.2% from three across 28 games thus far.

However, Richardson recently entered the starting lineup and took off. In his last seven games, he has averaged 16.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. This includes a career-high 29 points in a win over Oregon, where he shot 9-for-13 from the field.

Over the last few months, Richardson has risen from an early second-round pick to a potentially lottery pick, going 10th in Jonathan Wasserman's latest NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report. He has taken full advantage of the starting job, and should continue to impress for the No. 8 team in the nation.

Richardson has shown flashes of an elite microwave scorer in today's NBA, having a variety of moves and being able to score on or off the ball. Being an undersized guard and still being able to score in the paint reminds fans of Cason Wallace, Dion Waiters, or even Jalen Brunson with his craftiness.

The biggest questions regarding Richardson's play style are his playmaking and turnover rate. Over his last seven games, the freshman has recorded just 11 assists. On the season, he has totaled just 53 assists to 22 turnovers.

The Nets could use a microwave scorer like Richardson as they rank 27th in offensive rating this season (108.1). While he and star guard Cam Thomas have very similar frames and play styles, Thomas' looming free agency is a concern but more importantly Brooklyn needs any sort of scoring it can get.

Richardson is projected to go in the late lottery, but the Nets could very well get unlucky and fall from their projected selection spot. If that's the case, he could be on Brooklyn's radar.

This article first appeared on Brooklyn Nets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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